


Can't Stop Won't Stop

by Emirael



Category: Pokemon GO
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Nonbinary Blanche, Other, Will add more as I go, drabbles written for tumblr prompts, so far - Freeform, tags will vary by chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-10-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 07:20:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7675264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emirael/pseuds/Emirael
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>1k-ish drabbles written for prompts on tumblr. Likely going to be a mix of 'standard' fandom tropes. Should see some fake relationship AUs, hurt/comfort, fluff, roommate AU, first kiss, etc.</p><p>Drabbles will be non-sequitur and unrelated to one another unless otherwise stated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. that one where they pretend to date

Prompt from [cwjhunt](http://cwjhunt.tumblr.com/):  Candela and Blanche are following Sparks date to see if it goes well, they have 'pretend' to like each other to keep the act up to fool everyone else and be on a date. What happens next?

*

“How many?” The hostess didn’t look up as she asked.

Candela stepped forward. “Table for two.”

Beside her, Blanche was leaning to the side, trying to keep an eye on Spark and his date.

“Ummm…” The hostess frowned, flipping to the next page on the clipboard. “Yeah that might be a bit of a wait. All of our standard seats are taken, unfortunately.”

Blanche leaned forward. “And what about, ahem, non-standard seats?”

Candela frowned as the hostess flipped to another page. She’d been to this restaurant a couple times over the years. She thought she remembered something about a special table, but she couldn’t quite place it.

“I didn’t realize you were here on a date,” the hostess said. “Sorry about that. Yeah, actually, it looks like the booth is open. No reservations til nine. As long as you finish eating by then, that would be fine.

Candela’s eyes darted to Blanche, whose expression was bordering almost off the edge if their usual inscrutable look. If Candela didn’t know better, she’d say her friend seemed almost… nervous?

“Uh yeah,” Candela said. “Totally a date.” She slung an arm around Blanche’s stiff shoulders. “This is my datemate, actually.”  They had to keep an eye on Spark. He’d been mooning over this guy for ages when the cute trainer randomly asked him out. 

The hostess didn’t seem to care one way or another whether or not Candela was lying. “Right this way then.”

As soon as she turned around to lead them to their table, Blanche hurried forward, out from under Candela’s arm. “I’m your datemate?” they hissed.

Candela shrugged, her long strides keeping pace with Blanche’s clipped pace. “We gotta sell it somehow,” she said. “I know you wanna keep an eye on Spark just as much as I do.”

Blanche glanced at her sharply, but their witty retort immediately died when the hostess led them around a corner and the two of them caught sight of the special booth in question.

“Oh,” Candela said. “You’d think I’d have remembered that.”

The ‘Carousel of Love’ looked exactly as corny as its name implied. A giant pink heart formed the backrest. Even the table was shaped like a heart. Above the booth, the words ‘Carousel of Love’ were spelled out in neon letters.

It was also visible to almost the entire restaurant, although they’d approached from the other side so Spark hadn’t seen them.

“Here you go,” the hostess said. “Your waitress will be with you in a moment.” She set the menus down and left.

After a beat, Blanche looked flatly at Candela. “I’m not sitting in that.”

“C’mon Blanche, you gotta,” Candela said. She grabbed her friend’s arm and tugged them toward the booth. “Now we can spy on Spark on his date. This is _important_  stuff here and if we’re gonna do it, we have to go the distance.”

Blanche permitted Candela to tow them into the booth. “I suppose,” they said, “though I’m beginning to regret agreeing to this venture. Moreso as it continues.”

“That’s the spirit,” Candela said. “Now what does this do?” She’d found a small remote attached to the side of the booth with two arrows on it. “Let’s see…” Pressing one arrow, she was surprised when the booth started to turn.

As the ‘Carousel of Love’ booth slowly spun around, it turned them to face the other half of the restaurant.

Candela froze when she caught sight of Spark. He was sitting just one table away from the booth on the other side.

Blanche hissed, “Turn. It. Back.”

“Trying. Trying.” Candela jammed the other button, but the booth seemed determined to finish its full rotation before going the other way.

Blanche started reaching for the remote. “Candela, give me that.”

“No, I got it, I got it.” Looking closer, she finally saw a third button, between both arrows. Right as the carousel started to rotate back the other way, she pressed it.

Immediately, it stopped moving. So that was useful, except the booth was facing Spark’s side of the restaurant and 100% exposed. He hadn’t looked to the right so far, but it was just a matter of time.

Blanche was in the middle of saying, “Okay now press the button to have it rotate back—“ when the booth started playing music, an absolutely obnoxious, saccharine tune that seemed to be a bad edit of an old classic. Played with the sound quality of grainy music box.

Candela saw a vein pulse in Blanche’s forehead.

The jingle was also fairly loud.

Candela whipped her gaze over. Spark was starting to turn toward them.

“Get down,” she hissed, dropping to her side so the table hid her. When Blanche didn’t react fast enough, Candela dragged them down with her.

“What are you _doing_?” Blanche whispered, trying to grab the remote out of Candela’s hands.

“Trying to turn the booth back around,” she whispered back, yanking the remote back from Blanche and jamming one of the arrow buttons.

“Give me that!”

“No!”

Somewhere in the scuffle, they ended up crammed halfway underneath the table.

“Hey, lovebirds, can I get you some drinks?”

Blanche froze and winced. The booth had turned all the way back around just in time to reveal the waitress. Candela just popped up and grinned. “Uh, yeah. Yeah…” It was clearly going to be a long night. “I’ll have a whiskey sour. Fireball if you have it.”

“Sure thing.” The waitress turned to Blanche, who was wincing as they extricated themself from beneath the table. “How about you, hon?”

“Ice water is fine,” Blanche grated.

“Sure thing,” the waitress said. “I’ll be back in a few to take your order.”

“Okay, thanks,” Candela said. As soon as the waitress was gone, she turned back to Blanche. “Okay, so if we turn the booth like, halfway around, then press the music button, that should stop it in a spot so we can see Spark, but still be able to duck back before he sees us.”

Blanche’s eye twitched. “I believe I’ve had enough of making a public spectacle of myself for one evening,” they snapped.

Candela frowned. “Aw, c’mon _darling_ , you’re not having fun on your date?” If Blanche really wanted to give it up, they didn’t have to.

To her surprise, Blanche blushed slightly. “We’re not on a date,” they said, quieter. Before Candela could react, Blanche snatched the remote out of her hand. “But if we’re doing this, we’re doing it right. I’ve determined the optimal partway-point for observing Spark and _I’m_  going to press the button. Deal?”

Grinning, Candela kicked back and started paging through the menu. “Deal. Let’s see if Spark's date is going any better than ours."

This time, Blanche didn't correct her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is an actual restaurant down the street from me that has a 100% legit Carousel of Love that rotates. It's not quite as I've described it here, but that part is based on real life and it is terrifying.
> 
> ALSO: Welcome to Blandela Drabble Land. These are all prompts people left in my askbox on tumblr. Should be working through these for a while. I think I have about 15ish to go through. They're kind of a fun break between other writing projects.
> 
> Let me know your thoughts! How's characterization? You know, for a fandom where the characterization is about 99% fandom interpretation lol.


	2. that one with oblivious Candela

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Oblivious Candela. Either can't read Blanche's form of flirting, or is just too focused on her goals to realize that she is being hit on. Strategy is required.

Prompt from [hawthorneox](http://hawthorneox.tumblr.com/):  Blanche/Candela - Oblivious Candela. Either can't read Blanche's form of flirting, or is just too focused on her goals to realize that she is being hit on. Strategy is required.

*

At first, Blanche assumed a clear announcement of intent would be sufficient. They chose a moment that Candela was alone and relatively unencumbered and just spit it out.

“I would like to spend more time in your company,” they said. “I have found your presence to have an abnormal draw on my attention and believe a hormonal shift in focus may be the root cause. Given that, I have decided to indulge that which I would normally ignore and see where this impulse leads.”

Then they had paused, pulse racing. The physical symptoms of infatuation were alarming at first, but the attraction was nevertheless desirable in an odd sort of way.

Candela glanced up and smiled absently. This gesture caused a 10% increase in Blanche’s heart rate, although they had to admit the estimate was subject to inaccuracy due to the distractions of Candela’s presence itself.

“Yeah I feel like I’ve been super busy,” Candela said, rubbing the back of her neck. “Trying to max out my days, ya know? But I really should make more time for friends.” She smiled again, this time focused on Blanche. “Ya know, lately I’ve been ignoring my own impulses to chill. Let’s grab Spark and have a night in sometime.”

Blanche had blinked, unsure how Candela had failed to understand that she was being asked out.

Nevertheless, time spent with Candela was appealing regardless. Blanche would find another time to ask.

“That sound nice,” they said.

 

The next time Blanche attempted to broach the topic, it was in the midst of a battle. If Candela’s passions were at their most heated when she was fighting for a gym, it followed that affairs of the heart might be close at hand as well.

“Your skills have only grown, of late,” Blanche called over as they tossed out a Seel. “I’m looking forward to this bout, to see how you’re growing as a trainer.”

They’d read that compliments were a commonly understood form of expressing interest. And, indeed, Candela reacted favorably at first. “Thanks, Blanche!” she called back. Tossing out a Growlithe, she smiled. And perhaps it was their imagination, but Blanche seemed to detect something _different_  about this smile. “That’s quite the compliment, coming from you.”

“I mean it,” Blanche said. “I’ve been looking forward to fighting you all week.” And they had been. In some ways, Candela was at her most beautiful during a bout. Completely focused on her opponent and the battle at hand, her hair would fly in her face and she’d toss off her coat if it got too hot.

And this aside, Candela was an exceptional trainer. It was always a pleasure to see her in action.

Now, however, she shook her head. “Flattery is unlike you, Blanche,” she said. “But it will buy you no favors in this fight! Prepare yourself!”

And then, distracted, Blanche was less than pleased when Candela trounced them.

 

Next, they attempted a gift. This, their research had shown, was one of _the_  most potent ways of signaling affection.

_Knock knock knock_

Blanche felt a deep flush burn their cheeks when Candela answered her door in her casual clothes. Boxers and a tank top were _not_  Candela’s outfit du jour. The two of them tended towards socializing in their capacities as team leaders, which meant, well, they usually only saw one another dressed well.

“Blanche! What’s up?” Candela blinked and brushed some hair out of her eyes. “I didn’t even think you knew where I lived.”

“Of course I do,” Blanche said. They paused. “Wait, did I wake you?” They’d chosen a time of the morning at which it seemed reasonable to call, but perhaps Candela kept less conventional weekend hours than Blanche had assumed.

Candela suppressed a yawn. The way she stretched in the tank top was… distracting. “No, no. Well. Yes, but that’s alright. I needed to get up anyway, no matter how tired I still am.”

“It seems late for you to still be so tired,” Blanche remarked. “How late were you up last night?” For a moment, Blanche half-feared that a lover might materialize behind Candela in a similar state of undress. It would make sense. Candela was an attractive team leader with plenty of adoring fans. For her to take one to bed wouldn’t be so unusual.

And while Blanche was open to non-traditional relationship structures, it would definitely make the whole affair more complicated to set up and they were having enough struggles already.

“Oh, just team leader stuff.” Candela rubbed the back of her neck. I had a couple new trainers pledge to Team Valor at the gym I was running last night,” she said. “They were so excited, so new to this, that I ended up going out catching with them and showing them the ropes until three in the morning or so. Showed them a nest of Eevee and generally had a blast.”

Blanche winced. “Three?” They kept an optimized personal schedule that didn’t allow for too much deviation. Staying up that late would completely wreck the system.

Candela nodded. “You know how new trainers are. So much energy. It’s cool to go catching with them too; you get to feel that excitement right alongside them.”

Blanche and Candela smiled at one another; the feeling Candela described was a familiar one. For a moment, time seemed to freeze. In this moment, the two of them understood one another completely.

In the end, Blanche found the moment so flustering that they completely forgot to give Candela her present. The two of them talked a few minutes on the porch and then Blanche went home.

So, another failed attempt. But that just meant it was time for more field research, more observation. As with any subject, Blanche knew they would master it in time.

And in the interim, time spent with Candela was never time wasted.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next attempt: Blanche does that dance that big black and blue smiley bird does, attempting to attract a mate. Candela, not understanding, joins in the dance and they get a standing ovation from Spark, but does not realize she's being hit on. Still.
> 
> This was kinda cute and fun to write. I'm trying so hard to keep around 1k tho. #ResistTheBloat
> 
> COMMENT TO VOTE FOR THE NEXT DRABBLE PROMPT: Competitive drabble OR roommate AU drabble. I'll give it a couple days and pick the next prompt on Monday morning (August 8).


	3. that one with understanding roommates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blandela roommate AU. Lots of understanding. Fluff and chill.

Anonymous said to emirael: blandela Roommate AU

 

*

 

Professor Willow looked up from his paperwork. “Oh, Candela, before you go. There’s one last thing regarding your housing situation.”

Setting up as Willow’s intern hadn’t exactly been the most organized process so far. So far the man had handed her no fewer than eight batches of folders full of mismatched paperwork. Candela smiled. “Yeah? Lay it on me, Professor.”

“I wasn’t able to secure the housing as initially advertised for the team leader program,” he said. “So, unfortunately, you’re going to be in a roommate situation.”

“Is that all?” Candela shrugged. “I can handle that.” She got along well with most people. Or, if anyone had a problem with her, they tended not to press the issue too much. Same thing really.

The professor’s shoulders slumped. “Oh thank goodness,” he said. “You’re taking this really well.” He handed her a set of keys and a scrap of paper with the address.

“Am I?” She chuckled. “I think you need to stop working yourself up, Professor. Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He nodded. “See you then!”

The address was a good middle distance from the lab. Candela smiled as she jogged up the steps to the fifth floor. It was a good base location, and she’d be able to get some exercise on a morning run to the lab.

Once she got to the fifth floor, Candela double-checked the apartment number that Willow had given her and frowned. If the number was right, apparently Candela’s apartment door was standing wide open.

She walked in to a warzone.

At least a half dozen Pokemon were running around, busily cleaning the apartment in various ways. Candela spotted a Vaporeon scrubbing the countertops. Across the apartment, A pair of Wartortle were struggling together to work a mop across the floor. Candela blinked as she watched a trio of Krabby follow after a Kingler; all of them were holding sponges. Then there was the Starmie and Seadra making a joint effort to clean the windows.

In the midst of it all, Candela could see a figure with long white hair directing the efforts with precision and efficiency. They had a slight build and seemed a bit shorter than Candela, though not by much.

Professor Willow _had_  said she’d have a roommate. Candela glanced at the paper he’d given her and walked in. “Hey, are you Blanche?”

The trainer turned toward the door.

“I am. I use they/them pronouns. And you are?”

“Candela. She/her.” She walked a few steps closer and dropped her duffel bag on the floor. “Looks like we’re gonna be roommates.”

Blanche winced slightly. “We just finished cleaning that section,” they muttered. “But yes. It appears so. I’m glad you’ve arrived punctually, so we can take some time to get accustomed to one another before work starts tomorrow. I require that my living space meet certain minimum standards for my mental and emotional health. We have left your room untouched, and I ask only that you keep out of the way of the cleaning effort.”

“You’re really running quite the operation here,” Candela observed. The Krabby and Kingler group scuttled across the apartment in another direction, sponges in-claw. “How can I help?”

Blanche blinked. “Help?”

Candela unbuttoned her jacket and shrugged it off, tossing it on top of her duffel bag. “Yeah, help. That thing that you should do to keep everything from piling up on one person.” She smiled. “Can’t let your Pokemon do all the work.”

An odd look, almost a smile, touched Blanche’s face. “That… is a kind offer. Actually, I have been putting off several tasks for want of assistance.”

Candela nodded. “Let’s go then!”

They spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning, and Candela was glad to see her new roommate relax more the cleaner the apartment got. Around dinnertime, they reached a stopping point (Candela firmly insisted it was a stopping point) and took a break to relax and introduce their Pokemon to one another.

“Thank you,” Blanche said abruptly, as they watched their Vaporeon and Candela’s Flareon sniff at one another’s noses.

“For what?” Candela took a sip of water. Thankfully, Blanche’s Vaporeon seemed about as serious as her trainer was. Her Flareon didn’t take well to playful splashes in his direction.

“For helping. For being patient.” Blanche looked up and fixed Candela with an open expression. “Not everyone would work so hard, or be so understanding.”

“Looks like you’ve got the right roommate then,” she replied, smiling as her Flareon batted lazily at the Vaporeon’s tail. “If it helps keep you happy and chill, we can definitely keep things clean.” Candela had never been much for daily cleaning, but she could just make it another expression of personal discipline and self-control, like her daily runs. If that’s what she needed to do to keep her roommate situation stable, that was definitely doable.

“What… what could be something I might offer in return?” Blanche asked. They caught Candela’s eyes. “To return the gesture you’ve extended?”

Candela blinked. “You don’t need to do anything,” she said.

“I would like to know you better,” Blanche said. “As you’ve taken the time to both know me and adapt to my situational needs.”

“Which is free, not something you need to repay.” Candela reached out and scratched under her Flareon’s chin.

“You take time and pride on your physical strength, yes?”

Candela looked up. “I work out. Why?”

“Your musculature is unmistakable as anything other than the result of discipline and purposeful improvement,” Blanche said. “I took note of your stamina and muscle definition while we were cleaning earlier. Based on those observations, and what I have gleaned from you so far regarding your habits, I hypothesize that you engage in some form of daily workouts, likely in the early morning, as that is also a habit which correlates with a predilection toward keeping more than four fire-type Pokemon at a time.”

Candela blinked. “Uh. Yeah. That all sounds about accurate, actually. I was planning on jogging to the lab tomorrow, maybe doing a couple rounds on the steps.”

Blanche’s expression wavered, then resolved. “I will join you then.”

“Really?” Candela sat up. “I haven’t had an exercise buddy in a while.”

“I cannot guarantee initial stamina, but I would like to spend more time with you.” Blanche smiled. “I believe this is a thing roommates generally do?”

“All right then!” Candela grinned and pulled Blanche in for a side-hug. “Best roommates ever! Set your alarm for 5 and get ready for the burn!” Candela popped up to her feet. “I’m gonna crash then. We got a big day tomorrow.” Her Flareon followed her down the hall.

She was halfway to her room when she heard Blanche talking to her Vaporeon. “I’m going to die,” they said calmly. The Vaporeon made a distressed sound.

A beat later, as Candela was opening her door, she thought she heard Blanche again.

“It will be worth it though.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ended up going in more of a friendship direction with neurodivergent Blanche, but I still like it. 
> 
> I think we need a competitive type AU next. Not sure which. I have a few prompts to choose from.


	4. that competitive feeling tho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Competition. Candela is overly competitive until she realizes Blanche IS actually just as competitive - they just hide it better."
> 
> Ended up taking this for a spin in a slightly different direction, focusing on the post-realization rather than Candela's pre-realization competitive habits.

Prompt from [hawthorneox](http://hawthorneox.tumblr.com/): Competition. Candela is overly competitive until she realizes Blanche IS actually just as competitive - they just hide it better. Type of competition is up for grabs, ;3

 

 

*

 

“Wait a moment, Blanche!”

Blanche turned at the sound of Candela’s voice calling from down the hall. “May I help you, Candela?” They kept their voice cool and level. Although Candela had won the better portion of their practice battles this morning, Blanche saw no reason to give their friend the satisfaction of knowing how much the losses irked.

“No, no, nothing like that.” Candela jogged up, smile broadening as she drew close. “I just wanted to talk to you for a sec.”

Blanche tilted their head. “What is it?”

Candela slung an arm around Blanche’s shoulders and started walking with them. “I just wanted to chat a little about your secret.”

Blanche stiffened, but kept walking with Candela with only the smallest stutter in their step. They couldn’t recall a secret that might be of interest or relevance to Candela at the moment. “I… cannot say I know of which secret you speak,” Blanche said.

Candela brushed her thumb along Blanche’s shoulder, a gesture Blanche guessed was intended to be soothing. “You know, that wouldn’t actually surprise me either.” She steered them around an alcove by an infrequently-used door.

“Excuse me?” Blanche hissed.

Candela raised a finger to her lips and winked, looking both ways down the hall before ducking back into the alcove.

Despite their misgivings, Blanche dropped their voice. “Excuse me? What is the meaning of this nonsense, Candela?”

“I’m being discreet for your sake,” Candela said. “Because I figured you out just this morning and I wanted to talk to you privately about it.”

“Figured me out…?” Blanche frowned. “On what basis are you making such a claim?”

“You always keep so calm during battles, or when we go over gym statistics—“

“I am a calm person, Candela.” Blanche gave their friend a flat look.

“Yes, understood. Don’t interrupt.” Candela continued, “You were actually driving me a little crazy. That win-streak you had going last month was killing me.”

Blanche had noticed Candela’s agitation. And relished in it just a little. They would be pleased to recapture the feeling, if possible. Unfortunately for that end, Candela had redoubled her training efforts and recaptured both Valor’s gym lead _and_  her personal match tally with Blanche.

“And I think part of why it was killing me was that you… you’re always so nonplussed. In victory, in defeat. You keep this absolute chill with you.”

“A fairly common trait in ice-aligned trainers, Candela. Get on with it. So I’m not competitive, what of it?”

A sly grin touched Candela’s lips. “But you _are_ , Blanche,” she said. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you this morning.”

Blanche frowned. “What an absurd accusation,” they said.

_Candela_  was the competitive one. Always pushing, always sweating and caring and making a big deal out of who took the upper hand in their last bout. A gracious loser, when the occasion graced her, but a triumphant winner. Nothing seemed to please her more than victory.

“You’re the one who cares so much,” Blanche added.

“But I’m not the only one who cares,” Candela countered. She stepped closer; the proximity triggered an awareness of their physical parameters in Blanche. The alcove was not a particularly large space. Candela’s small height advantage seemed to grow in Blanche’s perceptive.

“I was watching you this morning,” Candela continued. “You’re just as competitive as I am, you just hide it better. This morning, it finally all clicked.”

“I am unfaltering in my Pokemon studies, in my academic pursuits. This includes battles.” Blanche pursed her lips. “There’s nothing personal or competitive about it. I’m not you.”

“No,” Candela admitted. She set a warm palm on Blanche’s shoulder. “but you’re not so unlike me. I’m starting to think you’re just as competitive. You just hide it better.”

At this statement, the _possibility_  nagged at the edge of Blanche's mind. They hadn’t done an internal emotional survey to actually see if they were competitive. It had just seemed absurd.

Because _Candela_  was competitive. Intense in battle, passionate in training. She pushed herself to her physical limits, training alongside her Pokemon. She set an example and stuck to her lead. Gracious in loss, but from the moment of defeat she wasn’t planning to continue the trend, already plotting some improvement to strive for next time. In victory, a little obnoxious, a little smug.

Candela heaved a sigh and brushed an absent hand along her hair. “Let me lay it out in terms you’ll accept. I… I have evidence,” she said. “You’re not competitive like _me_ , you’re competitive like you. You don’t often demonstrate strong emotions, but you are at your most vibrant and invested in the middle of a battle. You play it down, but you care, absolutely care as much as I do.

“And in training too. I try not to make a habit of creeping, but I’ve observed some of your training sessions. And it’s a different kind of passion than mine, not so loud or outgoing, but you pour _everything_  into it. I watch you push your mind to the limits, trying new strategies and techniques.” Here, something… strange shone in Candela’s eyes. A deep-seated fondness that went beyond her words.

“You’re amazing, Blanche. And when you lose, you keep this total shell on, but I’ve been watching you. Super closely. And I can tell it bothers you. It’s the small signs that give it away. You twitch your left eye when a loss really irritates you. And when you win it’s super chill. You act like it’s no big deal either—“

“Because it isn’t!” Blanche snapped. They took a breath and adjusted some calm into their voice. “Win or lose, it’s just discovery. Academic interest. Every battle is a hypothesis proven or disproven, not personal bragging rights!”

Candela regarded Blanche’s temper with a cool smugness that made them want to smack her.

Then Candela took a step closer and Blanche’s mind went a little blank. It wasn’t a large alcove, and she was _definitely_  inside the bubble that Blanche generally reserved for their personal space.

“Higher ground can be metaphorical, right?” Candela’s voice had dropped to a whisper. And though Blanche nodded mutely, Candela didn’t seem to expect an answer to her question. “You pretend it’s all academic,” Candela continued, “That you’re not competitive because you don’t care. I bought it at first, but now I understand. You’re trying to seize the emotional high ground.”

Blanche felt their breathe quickening. Though Candela hadn’t laid a hand on them, somehow she’d managed to pin Blanche’s back to the wall by force of her aura alone.

“Because the secret is that you _do_  care.” Candela smiled down at Blanche in satisfaction. “This morning I finally saw it. You care just as much as I do. You just show it differently. The more competitive I am, the more I pour it all out. But with you, it’s the opposite. The more the bout matters to you, the more you contain it. You get faux-competitive when doing practice bouts within your own team, especially with new trainers. That’s because it doesn’t matter.”

Blanche dropped their gaze. A warm flush, entirely unwanted, was creeping up their cheeks. With Candela this close, she could probably _feel_  the heat.

Because it _did_  matter. Deeply and irrationally.

Candela waited, silent, until Blanche managed to meet her eyes again. Blanche gave Candela the satisfaction of a single curt nod, a confirmation of her assessment.

At the nod, Candela continued, voice softer. “I love watching you work with younger trainers. And with Spark, ‘cause sometimes you’ll loosen up a bit. But against me? Never.” Candela winked. “I approached you today because I wanted to ask why you never relax with me. Why are you at your most competitive with me, of all trainers?”

Existence felt loud. Blanche mentally cursed the constraints of a physical body. It was just too distracting. Racing pulse, blood pounding in their ears. The heat on Blanche’s cheeks hadn’t faded so much as suffused across their whole face. Any moment now, Candela would notice that Blanche’s hands had acquired a mild tremor.

If discovery was inevitable, then the tactical advantage went to whomever was gifted the initiative.

Somehow, in that moment, it managed to feel like the obvious solution.

“With you, it just matters. You matter,” Blanche stated.

In the span of a heartbeat, Candela’s features softened.

Before she could react further, Blanche seized the collar of her coat and pulled Candela down into a kiss.

Brief, but poignant. Soft, enticing. Long enough to send the message, but not long enough to overstay Candela’s surprise. After all this awkwardness, it would be a pity for Blanche to fail on delivering their sentiments _or_  to fail to escape the prospect of further conversation on the topic.

While Candela was still speechless, Blanche vanished out from the alcove.

Decisive blow, followed by tactical retreat. It could count as victory for today, at least long enough for Blanche to figure out what to do next. As they ducked down a series of hallways, a smile tugged at Blanche's lips.

Strange circumstances, but still. It was a win. And against Candela, it always mattered.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plz vote in the comments for the next drabble! Your options are:
> 
> Blanche forgets their own birthday (but Candela doesn't)
> 
> OR
> 
> Spark's POV playing two-way wingman to Blanche and Candela
> 
> I'll be tallying votes until WEDNESDAY, September 21. Also, let me know what you thought in the comments~ It's about time I got these drabbles to a place where ppl are like kissing and shit. Honestly tho. More of that in the future~


	5. that one where Blanche forgets their birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Candela is late home/from work and Blanche is worried. Candela comes home with cake and shtuffs for Blanche's birthday that they (Blanche) forgot.

Prompt from Anonymous: I don't know if you're still for the Candela/Blanche prompts. But Candela is late home/from work and Blanche is worried. Candela comes home with cake and shtuffs for Blanche's birthday that they (Blanche) forgot. (Thank you!)

 *

Blanche looked at the clock.

Then they looked again and frowned.

“Candela is late today,” they said, glancing over at Spark. Candela was, in fact, two standard deviations later than Blanche generally expected her.

Spark glanced up from the incubator he was working on. “Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing,” he said. “Traffic on the bikeway, or maybe she decided to stop and like, single-handedly uproot a tree or something?”

Blanche regarded him steadily. “I merely meant to draw attention to the fact that she is not often late. Your response is leading me to believe there is something more to it than that.”

“More? No way. I’m almost certain it’s the tree thing now.” Spark nodded. “I mean, when she picks berries, the whole damn plants pull out of the ground. You’ve seen her, right?”

As a matter of fact, Blanche did enjoy discussing horticulture on berry walks with Candela. That did not mitigate the fact that Spark’s responses were increasingly suspicious.

Blanche carefully marked their book and neatened their notes. Then they got up from the table and walked over to Spark. “What’s going on? Tell me, now.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s a big heaping portion of nothing, Blanche,” Spark said. “Candela mentioned she’d be taking care of an errand earlier. It’s just taking a little long. Or something.”

Blanche almost believed him, but something still felt off.

“That doesn’t make any sense, Spark. Tonight is our designated-regular-interval date night. We both make sure to clear our schedules so that we can engage in romantic bonding activities. Doing so is strongly correlated with long-term relationship health.

“To show me that she values our relationship, Candela demonstrates what she codifies as ‘good girlfriend behavior’ via punctuality and consistency. These are traits I find reassuring and stabilizing.” Blanche narrowed their eyes. “For Candela to be late on our date night, beyond an acceptable allowance for _force majeure_ , means that something is happening. Something is different.”

They leaned forward. Blanche didn’t have any height to leverage over Spark normally, but he was sitting down so they were able to loom over him, glowering down.

“Tell me now.”

Spark’s lower lip quivered as he tried to keep his face still and neutral.

Several seconds passed.

“Okay!” Spark tossed himself down over his incubator, burying his face down against the glass. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll tell you.”

Blanche nodded. “Thank you for your compliance,” they said.

Spark nodded. “Yeah… it just. It just feels like the right thing to do,” he said. “Because I know Candela wouldn’t want you to get upset, or to doubt her or something. It was just supposed to be a surprise.”

“A surprise?” Blanche raised an eyebrow.

Spark nodded. His eyes flickered from Blanche to the front door of their apartment. “Yeah. Candela realized that… uh, after talking with you earlier today, she got an idea and wanted to surprise you.”

“Why would Candela want to surprise me?” Blanche furrowed their eyebrows.

The front door burst open.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLANCHE!”

Candela galavanted into the room, somehow balancing a cake, seven notebooks, and a what looked like a set of shiny water stones.

“Happy Birthday,” Spark said, chuckling.

“No that can’t be correct,” Blanche said, blinking. A flush, unbidden, began to flood their cheeks. “I… I would know if that were the case!”

Blanche’s eyes flashed over today’s page in their planner, open on the table. To the date in the corner.

It was, in fact, their birthday.

“It definitely absolutely is, and I’m appalled that you forgot,” Candela said, plopping the cake and presents on the table by Blanche’s stuff. “I was so appalled that I bought you a cake and a few extra presents to show it.” She leaned down and pressed a kiss to Blanche’s cheek. “Happy Birthday, darling.”

Spark had popped up to his feet and was checking out the cake in approval. “Nice choice! Very nice choice. Ten out of nine, for sure!” He struggled a moment, then managed to pop the lid off.

Blanche blinked, trying to take it all in and process their feelings at the same time. In the meantime, they took some solace in the fact that the blushing had mostly stopped.

Candela planted a kiss on the top of Blanche’s head. “We’re gonna have some cake, you’ll open some presents, and then Spark and I will mortify you by singing a song. When that’s done, we’ll get back to our regularly scheduled date night, only slightly delayed.”

“Thank you, Candela,” Blanche murmured.

“You’re welcome, darling.” Candela winked. “Though you may not thank me tomorrow.”

“Why… why is that?” Blanche was almost out of room for surprises tonight.

Candela winked. “After you left, I sent out a team-wide email about your birthday. I’m not sure what Mystic will put together, but it’ll probably happen tomorrow.”

“You didn’t.” Blanche covered their face.

“She did,” Spark chimed in.

Blanche shook their head as Candela took over serving the cake. Blanche wasn’t _actually_  mad about the team knowing. It would be embarrassing at worst. Maybe some time lost during the day…

“Don’t worry Blanche,” Candela said as she set down a piece of cake. “I’ll make it up to you later tonight.”

She winked and Blanche abruptly recalled several ways people celebrated their significant other’s birthdays.

Maybe a birthday party wasn’t such a bad thing. Blanche might even mark it on their calendar for next year.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was very fun! Let me know what you thought and vote in the comments for the next drabble:
> 
> Bad pick-up lines
> 
> OR
> 
> Young rivals (they have their first Pokemon battle with each other)
> 
> I'll count up the votes after Tuesday, October 11th!


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